" The Black Bag "
- Dibya Giri

The crowd was gathering in the public place since early in the morning as well as the situation was becoming tense and fearful. The morning walkers and few other people were standing there with curiousity. Now-a-days all the people have fear in their heart and its intensity is enhancing day by day. It might be due to curiousity that people were seen running towards the assembled crowd. There was a small Stupa of Lord Buddha in the eastern side of the four point of crossing. There was bed on the mat and few ragged clothes were scattered in the rest house. It can be easily estimated that some beggar used to live there. But there was nobody during that period. There was a big plastic bag under the edge of that rest house. All of a sudden all the people were at a loss finding the unclaimed bag and nobody present there at that very moment. The local shopkeepers of nearby were unable to say anything in respect of as to who had left the bag there. All were simply watching the face of each other. It was apparent from their countenance that they were not venturing to say anything despite knowing. They looked afraid inside the heart. It might be that they wanted to escape from unnecessary trouble. It was justified keeping in view the prevalent time and situation.

Now-a-days various kind of bomb i.e., socket bomb, dog bomb, pipe bomb, bucket bomb etc. are being exploded that is why whenever people see any unclaimed bag or packet then they have become habituated to be terrified. Whenever they happen to face such a situation then they have great suspicion just like the raised fang of Cobra - whether is there a bomb in that bag? Always that very suspicion arises in the heart of people.

Even now all the persons present there were panicked with that suspicion. The bag looked little bit big, which was filled with something from inside. But the bag was neither fully opened nor closed. Something inside the bag was visible from a distance. Because nobody ventured to look at that going nearby. All were busy in proving themselves smart surmising from a distance this and that.
- Certainly the bag had been put down there by some terrorist. That was why that might be bag bomb.
- No, it seems there is a head of a man. It looks like black hair inside.
The estimation amongst the crowd was adding flame to fury on the part of the spectators. The presence of terror was apparent in their countenance. Although the people of the crowd were unfamiliar with each other but despite that they were whispering with each other.
Ultimately the crowd was assured that there was a bomb because now a days the bombs were being exploded in the public places.

The people of the crowd were glancing at the bag. It seemed to them that the bag was not simply a bag but a replica of terror. That was why inside the heart of everybody there was fear just like the packet inside the bag; the fear was persistent in their heart. It was simply because now a days everybody move out of their house with a feeling of fear and enter into the house in the evening with fear. When they enter into their house, the packet of fear is also disappeared in a hole of the house for the whole night. Now it has become quite natural on the part of the people to be panicked and influenced by the rumours. Rumour has become the part and parcel of we Nepalese people compared to the reality. Now it has become an offence if we don't follow the rumours. We have suffered to a great extent due to the consequence of small rumour resulting the unnecessary eventualities - killing and shooting take place due to rumour. The country is closed but we have not ceased to follow the rumour.

Today the black bag under the rest house has also become the burning question and the size of the same was also becoming bigger gradually due to some automatic element. The upper part of the bag was also swirling with the breeze of the morning.
- Let us inform the security personnel as soon as possible.
- The more we delay the more it is dangerous.

Everyone looked at the face of the persons who said it with logic. But nobody could venture to do the same. Because in case if the terrorist had left the bag there and if he came to know about the informer then to-morrow the informer might be the scape-goat of the terrorist. This fear was with the all present there. Nobody could say whether any terrorist was watching from a distance. All were terrified in their heart.

All of them kept mum considering it justified to be spectator only. There was only one thing on their part to do there - guess? They were fulfilling that responsibility fearlessly.
The bag was still there as it is hitherto. It was the matter of wonder that it had not exploded and the people were not in a position to say that it won't explode. First of all the bag was to be opened in order to know what was inside and the second thing the person to whom the bag belonged, had to turn up there. But till then both of these things had not happened. Time was rolling on.
Tension was also enhancing as the sun of morning. People came and were gone. All put the curiousity to other. All of them had only one answer - What? What is? That - 'What is?' was the main theme of the curiosity. There was fear. That was drama. The people who were in hurry to go early in the morning were standing there looking again and again at their watch of the wrist and bag of bomb at a stretch. There was a great curiousity in that look. But nobody could guesse that at what time their curiousity will come to an end.

Just last evening a bomb had exploded and it was fresh in their memory. There was a black shadow of anxiety in the face of all since early in the morning.

The woman folk who used to visit early in the morning in order to worship kept on standing for a while with the items of the worshipping in the plate; when there was no possibility on their part to worship then they expressed their anger - "Sinners! They have even given up the religious; they deprived others as well from worshipping. What sort of things we are to face in our life. Oh! God!"

The most interesting thing there was the presence of one middle aged, half naked mad woman murmuring in her own way who said pointing towards that people, "Oh! Offenders and Sinners! You finished the whole world… Even then you are not satisfied….Now you have come to finish me … Finish the nation…. Finish the God … Now, you want to finish whom? If you want to finish, finish me…The so-called culprit husband brought step wife .. Wasted my whole property… Wasted. Ha! Ha! .. Leave the way of my house… " Saying that every now and than laughingly she tried to enter into the crowd. But the crowd was so huge that there was no scope on her part to enter inside.
Few naughty young boys were provoking the half naked mad woman clapping their hands. In case, if anyhow the mad woman would have been in a position to reach the bag passing out the crowd and the bomb of the bag exploded then everything would be ruined.

It can't be said that how many persons would be the victim and how much devastation would be there. That's why everybody was checking her from entering inside. Perhaps the crowd was thinking in that way.
Perhaps the security personnel got the information from some source about the incident. They arrived there fully alerted. The face of many spectators present there seemed bright watching their arrival. They started to watch stretching their head and widening their eyes.

At first the security personnel ordered them to either go away or keep a safe distance. Those who were supposed to go had already gone and rest were not willing to leave. Now definitely there will be a solution of the problem before the bomb exploded. It means the bomb will be defused. They looked fearless and confident as if now they were relieved from the possible danger.

Meanwhile the half naked mad woman reached there despite the checking of the crowd and said to the security personnel weppingly, "Hazoor! I am ruined! … These people are standing here obstructing my way… Shoot them all… Dang…. Dang….Dang".

The security personnel didn't reply anything and checked her alertly from entering her from the crowd. One the other hand the security personnel were studying the bag from a distance. They were discussing as how to defuse that bomb. It seemed that the situation of that place was calm and quite just before the storm.

Meanwhile a monk with long hairs arrived there carrying a bag on the shoulder and green vegetables in the hand. He was astonished observing the seen and said going nearby a person ' "Son! who has died?" The person said laughing, "Nobody has died till now but now everybody is going to be killed".

The monk was terrified and said again, "Oh! What is the matter?"
The person said, "A bomb has been kept into that bag".
"Where?" The monk was more terrified now.
"There under the rest house".

The monk slowly went near the bag surpassing the crowd. All of a sudden all were stunned as the monk burst into laughter. The monk said, stopping his laughing, "Who said that there is a bomb inside the bag ?".

The security personnel said to the monk, "Do you know whose bag is this ? Is it yours ?"
"No It's not mine".
The security personnel was angry and said, "Not mine…There is no bomb inside it.. What are you talking about ?"

The monk said, "It is not like that Hazoor,… That bag belongs to that mad woman. She sleeps in this rest house. This morning she had gone leaving her bag here".

There was a burst of laughter among the crowd. The crowd dispersed hurriedly as if they had watched some circus. On the other hand the half mad woman was eating the stale loaf and rice taking out of the bag and was murmuring also looking at the crowd.

Translated by: Satya Mangal K.C.

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